question on fitness

[martinrjensen]

I went for a ride today. Right off the bat I didn't feel too strong. There are good reasons for that. I had a migraine headache 2 weekends ago that was so bad I went to the doctor about it. I think I caught a cold at the doctors to, so for the last 2 weks I have only managed to get in a few rides, maybe 120+ miles. Previous to this I was getting in 150 minimum a week. I am used to riding 40 miles at a time and that's what I did today but it got me thinking about lactic acid. That's the thing that builds up in your system and tells you your legs hurt right? Some days (admittedly when I have been riding more) I just flat out feel really strong. I push up hills with no problem and feel great. Othe days, depending on how much I've ridden, I have days where I know I'm just not feeling strong. I usually know within the first 5 miles.
Is there any other way to gauge this? Assuming I'm right and it's lactic acid build up? I have noticed that before a big ride I feel the most6 strong if I eat pasta, my favorite being Kraft Macaroni and cheese original recipe (that still counts as pasta?). Love the stuff, I could eat the whole container in one sitting (but I don't)

[stephenmarklay]

There are countless books and decades of wisdom on such subjects and while lactic acid is a factor in the ability to ride at a rate above your lactic threshold (riding pretty hard)- it does not sound like this is what you are talking about.

Bottom line as a start - ride more and you can ride more.

[martinrjensen]

I'm riding as much as I can. When I'm sick, I can only do so much. Unfortunately the winter is my busy (work) time, though now that I am healthy again, I will start riding at night. I have my winter bike outfitted with lights so night riding will not be a problem. There are countless books and decades of wisdom on such subjects and while lactic acid is a factor in the ability to ride at a rate above your lactic threshold (riding pretty hard)- it does not sound like this is what you are talking about.

Bottom line as a start - ride more and you can ride more.

[Ti Designs]

Finding out what makes you ride well is about collecting data over time and looking for the paterns. I have my riders keep a log of all kinds of data, from hours of sleep to waking heart rate to time on the bike. What you're eating, training intensity and recovery are also key points. if you're consistant at keeping the log it will point out what you need to do to show up for a ride strong.

Example: When I was racing on Saturday I had to have my last big meal on Thursday night (pizza, and lots of it). I also found that taking the Friday off the bike was a big mistake. For crits that start super hard I would take Wednesday off, for road races I would take Thursday off. Either way, Friday was a high cadence day, but keeping the time on the bike under 2 hours.